Alonzo Highsmith (’83) – Football

Started three years as a running back at the University of Miami and was the third overall pick in the NFL draft in 1987.

Also played basketball at CCHS. Athlete of the Year for 1983.

In his senior season, some scouting services rated Alonzo as the best high school football player in America. He was a defensive end, but he could have played any position on the field

His head coach Dennis Lavelle said Alonzo was fun to watch because he never knew where he would make a play next. “His motor never stopped running.”

Along with Mike Shula and a team full of overachievers, Alonzo led Columbus to the state championship game in the fall of 1982. In that game Columbus fell by 9 points to Penscola Woodham. The team finished 12-2, tied for the most wins in the school’s history.

Alonzo also played basketball and ran track at Columbus and he received the school’s Athlete of the Year award for 1983.

Alonzo was recruited by every school in the country and chose the University of Miami where he played for Jimmy Johnson and became an All-American running back.

In the 1987 NFL draft, Alonzo was selected third over-all by the Houston Oilers. Over 7 seasons, he played for three teams – the Oilers, the Cowboys and the Buccaneers. But only two of those seasons were full seasons. Alonzo suffered several knee injuries and retired after the 1992 season.